Two Saviors, One Destiny
by NinjaGal183
Summary: Emma and Morgan. Two sisters brought together by a ten year old boy who believed they were destined to break a curse. But what happens when a broken curse triggered another one to start? Forcing one of them to suffer individually. And would she ever be able to admit what she feels for a particular pirate? More importantly, could she admit it to herself? Eventual HookxOC
1. Prophecy

**So I just recently started watching Once Upon A Time and was hooked! (No pun intended). Anyway, I'm a Captain Swan shipper (I like Ruby with Hook too) but was surprised that there weren't a lot of Hook/OC fics so I decided to make my one. I don't usually create a character that is related to one of the main characters from a show because it's sort of hard for me to work my imagination up from there, but I decided to give it a try with this one (um...spoiler?). This first chapter is sort of like a prologue, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

**DISCLAIMER: Any characters, dialogues, settings etc. you recognize from the show are NOT MINE! I just own my own OC(s) and ideas!**

**p.s: I changed twenty-eighth birthday to twenty-seventh. Not a huge change, but still...:P**

Chapter 1: "Prophecy"

"Rumplestiltskin! I have a question to ask" the guard called

The Dark One smiled to himself. "Oh I'm sure you do, but it's not your question dearie" he said as he approached the stalactites "It's their question. The newlyweds" he said as his eyes trailed to the two figures that were covered by their cloaks. "Snow White and Prince Charming, what an honor it is to have you both come visit my lonely cell" he said with a high laugh.

Both hesitated but stepped into the light and removed the hood of their cloaks. "We're here to ask about—"

"The queen's threat" Rumplestiltskin said, cutting him off "Yes, I am well aware of why you are here"

"What do you know? Tell us!" Charming demanded

"Mm, anxious aren't we? The queen has really gotten into your heads hasn't she?" he replied to the Prince with a smug smile "I will tell you what I know...for a price" he sang

"What do you want?" Snow asked finally

"The name of your unborn children" Rumplestiltskin said "_Both_ of their names of course" he added simply

Charming and Snow exchanged bewildered looks before looking back at the Dark One. "'Both'?" Charming asked, causing Rumplestiltskin to turn his attention back to him. "What do you mean by 'both'?" he said seriously. Snow held her husband's hand tightly as she too anxiously waited for his response.

"Oops!" he said gleefully "Did I forget to mention that you are going to be having twins?" he laughed, gazing down at her protruding belly

Both of them widened their eyes before they gazed down to her abdomen. Snow exhaled in shock as her hand let go of Charming's and went over her stomach protectively. Only he would know how many children they would have. Charming turned and ran both of his hands through his hair. Snow felt happiness and fear at the same time. Happiness because she was going to have two children. Fear because of Regina's threat and how it threatened not just her and Charming's life now, but their children's. _Twins_ she thought to herself.

"Oh you needn't worry though. You will have no trouble telling them apart. Though twins, they won't be very...identical" he said in delight "So, do we have a deal?" he asked

"Y-Yes" Snow managed to say, still drained in shock.

Rumplestiltskin exhaled slowly as his mouth turned into a wide grin. "The queen has in her hands...a very powerful curse and the time is very near. A prison worse than mine. We will be trapped in a place where time will standstill. We will suffer in eternity as everything we hold dear will be taken away from us"

"How do we stop it? How do we protect ourselves?" Charming asked seriously, growing anxious with every word Rumplestiltskin spoke

"Oh we can't dearie" he said simply, before his eyes fell back down on Snow's stomach. "But _they_ can" he said

Snow looked down and then back at Rumplestiltskin. "My...my children?" she asked questioningly

"Yes, your infants are our only hope. Only together can they be the saviors. _Our_ saviors" he rasped "Get both of them to safety and they will return to us in their twenty-seventh year, only then will the final battle begin"

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes as though he was having another vision. Charming clenched both his hands tightly into fists. "That's enough. We're leaving" he said, entwining his hand with his wife's. The guard began to lead them out of the dark cave when Rumplestiltskin gasped and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Both of them stopped and turned to look back at his cage.

"Oh my, how terrible" he murmured, his eyes still closed.

"What?" Snow asked, letting go of her husband's hand and walking back to Rumplestiltskin's cell. "What is it? What do you see?"

He giggled. "Twins, but one's life will not be spared as you fail to save one of them"

The color drained from Snow's face as she felt her heart drop. "Fail? Save? What're you talking about?" she said

Charming quickly strode to his wife's side and gently gripped both of her arms. "Snow? Snow, listen to me. Don't listen to him, he's lying" he told her. Charming held her face in his hands. "Nothing's going to happen to either one of them, you understand? I won't let it. I promise I won't let anything happen to our children" he said softly, as her tear-filled eyes met his. By her expression, he didn't know if he convinced her or not.

Her mouth turned into a small smile. "I want to leave" she said softly

Just as she turned to follow the guard out, Rumplestiltskin reached through the stalactites and grabbed her wrist. "Ah, ah, we made a deal missy"

Charming unsheathed his sword and swung it on his hand, making a cut across the top of it and he pulled back. "Next time I'll cut it off" he snapped

Rumplestiltskin ignored him and continued to stare at Snow White. "The names, dearie. What are the girls' names?" he said, climbing the stalactites eagerly as he waited for her answer.

"Emma" she said quietly

"And...?" he asked

Snow pursed her lips. "I...I don't know"

He laughed his high-pitched laugh. "Oh yes you _dooo_" he sang "You can't lie to me, dearie; you have no reason to. We made a deal. What's the other girl's name?"

She swallowed before putting a hand over her stomach. "Morgan" she answered without looking at him. Without another word she began to walk out of the cave alone. Charming was about to follow when Rumplestiltskin reached through the stalactites again and pulled him against it.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, dearie" he whispered to him quietly "Especially when _you_ are the one that fails to save one of them"

"What?" Charming said, puling himself away from the pointed rocks.

"Oh, have I forgotten to mention?" he said gleefully "To be more specific, _you_ fail to save one of your own daughters" he laughed

It took everything in him not to reach for his sword and stab him between the rocks. Though even if he did, he knew it wouldn't do the Dark One much harm. He didn't say a word and stormed out of the cave. Rumplestiltskin's laugh echoed off the stone walls. His words stuck to him and he felt weight on his shoulders. _You fail to save one of your own daughters_ he had said. No. He refused to think about it. He wasn't going to let anyone die. Not Snow and especially not his unborn daughters.

O-0-o

Rumplestiltskin sat in the corner of his cell and watched the small black mouse scurry its way around the apple. The edges of his mouth twitched up in a grin. "We're alone in here, dearie. There's no need to hide" he said, stepping out of the corner. He waited as the black mouse turned into a puff of smoke and in its place stood Regina.

The queen smirked. "I assume you know why I'm here" she said, absentmindedly unraveling the piece of paper she had in her hand. "This curse you gave me isn't working. What did I do wrong?" she demanded

The Dark One chuckled. "So worried..." he muttered "Like Snow White and her new husband"

The smirk on her face vanished. "They were here?" she asked

Rumplestiltskin approached the stalactites. "Oh but of course. They came here asking about you and the curse. Your threat has them very...rattled" he said gleefully

Regina approached the other side of stalactites in two long strides. "And what did you tell them?" she asked in a dangerously low voice

"The truth of course. That there is no escaping the inevitable and nothing can stop it" he replied enthusiastically, making Regina's mouth turn into an evil grin. "Well, perhaps with the exception of their unborn babies"

As quickly as the smirk appeared on Regina's face, it disappeared. "Babies?" she asked

"Yes. Why, Snow White is carrying twins. Though, they won't be very, how shall I put this...?" he said, drumming his fingers on his chin "Identical" he said with a gleeful laugh. Regina simply glared back at him. "You see, no matter how evil or powerful a curse is, all of them can be broken. Both of the children together, they are the key to breaking it"

"Well, I'll have to take care of that, now won't I?" Regina told him "If they are both the key _together_, then I just have to get close enough to one of them"

Rumplestiltskin threw his head back and laughed. "Killing an infant? Tsk, tsk. Even _I_ am not that cruel, dearie" he said

"Perhaps," she said "Killing one or both of them to make Snow White and Prince Charming suffer"

He licked his lips. "Even if you do plan on killing those poor babies, you'll never be able to make it inside the palace"

Regina narrowed her eyes and smirked. "I'm getting the impression that you have something better in mind" she said

Rumplestiltskin smiled widely. "The choice is entirely yours dearie. Death...or suffering through the struggle between good and monstrosity. Your choice" he said. The edge of Regina's mouth twitched. Both options sounded equally pleasing. Killing both infants and watching Snow White and Prince Charming suffer. "However, there is the matter of enacting the curse" he added, causing her to remember why she had come here in the first place.

"What did I do wrong?"

O-0-o

From her window she could see the purple and black smoke as it swallowed everything it touched. The bells rang loudly from outside, but they were drowned out by Snow's own screams of childbirth. Charming held her hand with one of his and balanced a baby Emma in the crook of his other arm as Snow tried with everything in her to push her second girl out.

"Almost. You're almost done! Push, Snow! Push!" Doc said. Snow screamed at the top of her lungs in pain one final time. Doc smiled and quickly wrapped a blanket around the baby, but quickly fell when he held the baby in his short arms and Snow noticed.

"What? What is it?" Snow asked worriedly

"Something's wrong. She...she's not crying, Snow" Doc told her

The room turned deadly quiet. Right now, the curse happening outside didn't matter to them. The only thing that did was the pale and quiet baby in the dwarf's arms.

"No...No! NO!" Snow cried out hysterically

Charming felt as though he would throw up as he continued to hold Emma protectively in the crook of his arm. Snow was hysterical and tears threatened to slip from the corners of his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to do. He had to stay strong for Snow; he knew that much no matter how much he wanted to yell out too. His wife let go of his hand and tried to sit up.

"L-Let me see h-her" she cried

Doc didn't argue as he wrapped the purple blanket around the baby and gently placed it in Snow's outstretched arms. Her eyes were closed and she was only a little smaller in size compared to Emma. Snow looked down at her baby as tears rolled off her cheeks.

"Oh Morgan" she whispered, stroking her daughter's pale cheek

Doc silently stood by the side of the bed. "Snow, these things happen sometimes..." he said sympathetically, but even he didn't know what to say to comfort her or her husband.

Charming was quiet. He was in as much shock and sadness as Snow was if not more. _Had this been what Rumplestiltskin meant? A stillborn?_ He thought, but was interrupted when one of his guards stood in the doorway.

"My lord, perhaps...perhaps I can help" he said

Snow and Charming stared at him for a long while. "How?" Charming asked

The guard removed his helmet and stepped inside the room. "As the dwarf said, these things do happen, but that doesn't mean she is dead. I know a little magic, enough to save your second child" he explained

Snow and her husband exchanged looks. Hope glistened in both of their eyes. Right now they didn't have too many options. It was almost too good to be true. Charming took Morgan from Snow's arms as she took Emma from his. He walked around the bed and stood in front of the man. "What's your name soldier?" he asked

"Claude" the man answered

"Claude," Charming repeated "We don't have much time. Whatever magic you know please use it to help my daughter" he said

He nodded to the prince and carefully took the small bundle from the prince's arms when Geppetto ran into the room. "The wardrobe is ready and the queen has crossed the bridge. We must hurry!" he urged

Snow breathed deeply. "You have to get them both to the wardrobe. It's the only way"

"Your Highness, but the wardrobe only takes one" Claude said

She reached out for her husband's arm. "That's why you have to put them both in at the same time..." she said, placing Emma in his arms "...together"

"We don't know if that will work" Charming told her

"We have to try. We need to have faith that they'll come back for us. It's their best chance" she said, squeezing his hand. Snow didn't want to part ways with their infants anymore than Charming did, but if both were the saviors then that's what they had to do. Snow craned her head around to look at Claude. "Save her. Please save my daughter" she said softly.

The man nodded as Charming gave his wife one final kiss and grabbed his sword. "The nursery. Do whatever magic you need to save Morgan and then we'll place them both inside the wardrobe" he explained to Claude, to which he nodded. Charming left the room first and Claude followed behind him.

They fought their way through the corridor as Regina's men stormed into the palace. Charming suffered a wound on his shoulder, but they made it to the nursery where the tree was sitting in the middle of the room. They barricaded the door the best they could before gently placing the sick infant on the ground. Charming cradled Emma in his arms and anxiously watched as Claude's hand lingered over the baby's head and spoke something in a different language. A haze of green smoke appeared around her that made Charming all the more anxious. A baby's cry echoed in the room. But it wasn't Emma's.

Charming walked behind Claude as he stood up with the purple blanket in his arms. She was alive. The relief made him dizzy. "Thank you" Charming said breathlessly. Voices from the other side of the wall told them more of Regina's guards had broken through. "The wardrobe" he said, turning to the tree. He opened one of its doors and gently placed Emma inside before turning to Claude and outstretching his arms. "Give her here" he said quickly

Claude grinned. "I would your Majesty, but...I'm sure the queen wouldn't be pleased if I did that"

"What?" Charming said in confusion.

"Rumplestiltskin told her that only together both girls can be the savior. She didn't want anything standing in the way of her being victorious"

Charming's eyes fell on the bundle in the crook of Claude's arm. "What have you done!?" he demanded

"Nothing. The child is healthy. The queen sent me here to do something else" he said, removing a silver hunting knife from his boot.

"NO!" Charming shouted, grabbing his blade and swung it at the man's arm, deflecting the knife as it brushed against the infant's shoulder. The prince swung his sword again and the knife fell from his hand. As Claude lunged for the knife, Charming stabbed the man in his side and at the same time was able to grab Morgan from his arm. Claude yelled out in pain as Charming pushed his aside with his foot. The door shook as two loud bangs came from the other side. The prince wasted no time and placed her next to Emma inside the wardrobe. He stroked his finger against her cheek as her tiny hand wrapped itself around one corner of the blanket.

"I'm sorry we couldn't have more time. Take care of each other" he told them quietly, before shutting both doors of the wardrobe.

_Please take them both. Please work_ he silently prayed, pressing both of his fists on the small door. The guards would be breaking through the nursery door any minute now. He grabbed his sword and stood up, waiting for them to break through. A weak groan at the end of the room turned his attention to Claude who was lying in a pool of his own blood. Charming approached him.

"Your plan failed. As will the queen's" he told him, holding the sword at his neck

A weak chuckle escaped the man's lips. "Oh, I didn't fail. The queen didn't ask me to kill her" he said with a weak laugh "No, she gave your child a fate worse than death"

Charming's sword landed on the ground with a _clang_ as he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. "What did she ask you to do" he demanded

Claude's mouth turned upward in a smile, showing his bloodstained teeth. "She didn't ask me to kill her" he said "All I had to do was touch her with the blade and she would be cursed. A small mark...and the curse will enact itself...when the time comes" he said, his breathing faint and husky "Y-You were too...b-busy saying g-goodbye...to notice..." he chuckled, tapping a finger on his shoulder.

Charming turned to look at the knife and saw the smallest hint of blood on the edge of the blade. Before he could turn back to the enchanted tree, the door burst open and two of Regina's soldiers stormed in. Before Charming could reach for his sword one of them approached him and plunged his own weapon into his side. The pain was too much, causing him to fall on his knees and on his side. The other soldier walked to the wardrobe and broke the latch before breaking the door off the hinges, but the inside was empty.

They were gone.

**Okay, sorry if anyone seemed OOC, if they did I hope they weren't too different. I am following the storyline, but I'll try not to stray too far from it. So that was the first chapter, like I said it was sort of like a prologue. Thoughts? Like it? Review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Birthday

**Thank you SchadenFreud95, Stinker126, and hope for reviewing and to all those that favorited/followed! I proofread this one as best I could, but if there are still any mistakes I'll try to fix them. Btw, some of the keys on my keyboard aren't working that well so if there's a missing letter(s) from a word, I'm sorry about that and I'll try to fix that too if I see it. Not much else to say, so here's chapter 2.**

******DISCLAIMER: Any characters, dialogues, settings etc. you recognize from the show are NOT MINE! I just own my own OC(s) and ideas!**

Chapter 2: "Birthday"

"I'm sorry Ms. Reed, but I took a look at everything and it appears that the tests came back negative" Dr. Harris told her.

She unfolded her hands from her lap and blinked at the doctor. "All of them?" she asked, silently hoping that there had been some sort of mistake

The doctor nodded her head sympathetically. "I'm terribly sorry. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No. That's all I came here for, thank you" she replied, grabbing her purse and walking out the door in a matter of two seconds. She quickly walked down the quiet hall with nothing but the sound of her heels clicking against the green and white tiled floors.

"Morgan?" Dr. Harris called, causing her to stop and turn around. Dr. Harris was maybe five feet away from her with a small sympathetic smile on her lips. "I understand you might be upset. These past few months must not have been easy for you"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" she said coolly

Dr. Harris approached her. "Would you like me to call a cab for you?" she asked

"No" she answered "I don't live far" she said, with that she walked out of the doctor's office.

It was late afternoon and the streets of Boston were packed with cars. Luckily, she didn't have to endure through that. She needed a drink and a strong one at that. Morgan sighed before changing her direction to cross the street until she found the restaurant and bar. It was never crowded during the week unless there was something important going on. Today was no different. There were only one or two occupied booths and a few people at the pool tables. The bar was empty except for one man sitting on the very end reading the newspaper and the bartender that was cleaning glasses with a white rag. Morgan exhaled and put her bag down on the counter before taking a seat. The bartender raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock behind his head.

"Four-thirty, Morgan?" he said "Kinda early for a drink"

"Well, I didn't know you were keeping tabs on when I come and go, Richie. You stalking me?" she asked sardonically

"I'm observant" he replied with a grin. "I'm no psychic, but I'm gonna bet it hasn't exactly been your type of day" he said

She chuckled. "Sounds like you know me a little too well, Richie. But I'll tell you this much, you're not wrong" she replied, resting her chin in her hand "Work was slow today..."

He looked up and down at her clothes. "Caught another one, I'm guessing?"

"Always do" Morgan said simply, making Richie chuckle "But it wasn't work. I actually came from the hospital and got just the opposite of what I was expecting to hear"

He frowned and leaned on the counter. "Everything okay?" he asked

"Yeah. And that's the problem" she sighed, folding her arms over her chest and leaned over the polished counter "I don't really want to talk about it. I just came here to forget, and with that said..." she trailed with a smile

Richie grinned and tossed the towel over his shoulder. "What'll it be?" he asked, stretching his arms out beside him

Morgan bit her tongue between her teeth. "Normally on a day like this I would ask for the strongest one you have" she said, drumming her fingertips on the counter "But since I want to be sober enough to walk home, I'll take the usual. Scotch" she told him

"With soda?" he asked

"Surprise me" she told him

"You got it" he said, grabbing for a clean glass

"Make it a double" A familiar voice called. Morgan turned her head as her friend, Kimberly, strutted her way to the vacant seat next to her. "Put it on my tab. This one's on me" she said, putting her handbag on the counter.

Richie glanced towards Morgan, who shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter, put it on any. I just want that drink" she said as Richie grabbed for a second glass. Morgan glanced at her friend. "Been a while, Kimberly" she said

"Oh yeah, I know" she said as Richie placed two glasses in front of them. Kimberly eyed her carefully and grinned. "You hiding a pair of handcuffs underneath that shirt?" she asked

Morgan rolled her eyes. "I'm off the clock, Kimberly" she replied dully, before taking a sip from her glass.

"Ease up, I'm messing with you. But you know you can't look like that and tell me you're not looking to get freaky" she said, eyeing her pencil black skirt and sleeveless red top. "So who's your victim? No, wait, let me guess" she said, gazing around the room.

"Work ended early, okay? I came here to have a drink and be alone" she said bluntly

Kim turned back to her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm getting the impression you had a bad day" she said

Morgan gave her glass a little shake as the ice cubes clinked against one another. "Then I hope you're also getting the impression that I don't want to talk about it" she said derisively before taking another sip.

"Okay," Kimberly replied back, ignoring her scornful attitude. "But you also know I won't leave until you do. And if you leave, I'll just have to follow you home"

Morgan put her glass down and sighed in annoyance. She came to the bar to be alone and wasn't interested in starting a conversation with anyone, but if she knew Kim...

"Fine," she said irritably, putting her glass to one side.

Kimberly smiled to herself and put her glass to one side. "What happened?" she asked, turning her body to face her friend

Morgan leaned back in her chair and watched the ice cubes float on the surface of her beverage. "I went to see Dr. Harris. My test results came back" she explained, looking over at her. Kimberly raised both her eyebrows in surprise. Morgan slowly shook her head. "All of them came back negative. I'm not pregnant" she said, taking a long sip from her glass.

Kim's mouth hung open for a second then closed. "Oh, I'm sorry babe" she said, putting an arm around her

"I asked her to give every possible test in the book. Every last damn one came back negative" Morgan muttered, finishing the last of her and motioned to Richie for a second one. He nodded and took the empty glass for a refill.

"You know, you could've just taken a pregnancy test instead of going through all that trouble" Kim said

"I wasn't going to put all my faith in a plastic stick, Kimberly. You can't rely on those things" she told her

"You feel okay?" she asked

Morgan frowned. "I don't know" she admitted "I mean, when Dr. Harris told me the results I was upset, but now, I'm just sort of confused" she explained

"Guess the alcohol's working" Kimberly said, holding her glass.

Morgan laughed. "What're you doing here anyway?" she added, as Richie placed a second glass of scotch and soda in front of her.

"I just came here to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow" she said, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Oh, yeah? What's tomorrow?" Morgan asked, shaking her glass in a circle before bringing it to her lips.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at her in bewilderment. "Your birthday" she said matter-of-factly

Morgan choked on her drink and looked at her friend in bewilderment. "You're not serious!" she said dumbfounded.

"What?" she asked innocently, holding her glass in one hand.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "I've been so busy with everything else. I forgot..." she said

Kim frowned. "How do you forget your own birthday?" she asked

She shook her head "I don't know" she groaned "Kimberly, with everything that's happened..."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Okay, I know it's been a rough year so far but you have to move past it. Life's a rollercoaster, but it goes on" she said.

"Life's a bitch is what it is" she answered back "Just when you think everything's going great, it throws you a curveball" Morgan said, pushing her jet black hair away from her face and taking a long sip of her alcohol.

Kim sighed and put her glass down. "You're still wearing it" she stated

"What?" Morgan asked. Kim grabbed her wrist and pointed at the gold band around her ring finger. Morgan pulled her hand back. "I don't want to talk about it" she said, twisting the ring around her finger. She swallowed and took out a small tip for Richie before standing up from her chair.

"Morgan," Kimberly said, grabbing her hand "Look, I know it's been hard. I get it, but you can't spend the rest of your life locking yourself in a room and listening to depressing music"

She pulled her hand back and raised an eyebrow at her. "First of all, I don't lock myself in a room and listen to depressing music. Secondly, it's not like I'm not trying. Try to put yourself in my shoes. Even after everything that did happen, he was still my husband. I think it's going to take a lot longer than four months for me to move on" Morgan told her. They were both quiet for a minute. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said, turning to walk out the restaurant

"I'll come to your place tomorrow morning!" Kim called as the door shut behind her.

Car headlights flashed in her face as they sped past her. The apartment building wasn't that far from the restaurant. Morgan kicked off her heels and carried them by the straps before entering the lobby. The receptionist gave her a smile as she walked towards the elevator. The night was still young, but after today she didn't care if she slept through tomorrow. Morgan leaned against the wall as the elevator slowly went up to her floor until it finally stopped. She unlocked the door of her apartment and threw her purse on the sofa. Morgan sighed and walked into her room and tossed her shoes by the bed before heading into the shower. She waited until the water was warm before stepping inside the stall. This day had just been too long for her liking.

After a good ten minutes, she dried herself off and changed into a pair of gray pajamas and a loose t-shirt. Morgan sighed and let herself collapse on her bed, not bothering to dry her hair. She folded her hands over her stomach and glanced at the digital clock. 6:45 PM. Morgan exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes. Less that six hours until tomorrow. She turned on her side, looking away from the clock. Birthdays were like a New Year's Eve party to her (just with less alcohol). Kimberly thought of birthdays even bigger than that if possible, she was usually the one that always planned them out. Though this year, Morgan just wasn't feeling it. She spread her damp hair out behind her neck and closed her eyes.

O-0-o

"Why the hell are you still asleep? Wake up!" Kimberly said loudly, kicking the mattress.

"Hm?" she muttered, opening her eyes to see Kim sitting on the edge of her bed. _So much for sleeping through the day _she thought to herself. "Oh c'mon, it's too early" she groaned into her arm.

"Come on, Morgan. It's not everyday you turn twenty-seven" she said, yanking the curtains to one side and letting the sunlight shine on her face.

She scoffed and threw her arm over her eyes. "Kimberly, you say that same thing every year. Frankly, it only made sense when I turned twenty-one"

"Well yeah, that's because it was the official age when we can drink out in the open and not worry. Now, get _up_" she said, yanking her arm as she made her sit up. "We only have one day to celebrate and a have a lot to do. We have to get breakfast, go to—"

"Actually Kimberly, I think I'm gonna go for a run" Morgan replied, tying her hair up and walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You can skip the workout junkie routine for one day, Morgan. It won't kill you" she called to her simply. Kim looked through her closet and took out several dresses and throwing them on her bed.

Morgan rinsed out her mouth and sighed. She leaned against the doorway and folded her arms over her chest as she watched Kimberly survey her dresses.

"I think purple looks good with your fair complexion, what do you think?" she asked holding up one of the dresses. Before Morgan could answer, Kim picked up another dress. "Or I think maybe this blue one would look good too. It really makes your green eyes pop" she said, holding it up

"Kimberly, I've been thinking..." Morgan started slowly

"What?" she asked without looking at her. Kim held up a simple black dress before throwing it to one side.

She pursed her lips. "Maybe we should just forget about my birthday this year" she said delicately. Kimberly widened her eyes when she turned to look at her. Morgan bit her lip, she couldn't help it. Kim looked like she had been slapped and then told her dog died.

"You want to skip your birthday?" she said in shock "Why?"

Morgan groaned and threw her head back. "I don't know. I just..." she said, but when she couldn't come up with a good excuse she just threw herself back on the bed.

Kimberly put her hands on her hips. "Does this have anything to do with the fact that you're not pregnant and you're upset about it? Or Donovan?" she questioned

Morgan stood up. "Why is it that every time I say something, you always somehow bring it back to that?" she said dryly with her arms folded. "It has nothing to do with either one of it"

Kim sat down on the corner of her bed. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!" she said in exasperation

Her friend sighed. "Morgan, look, you miss him. I get that. But you have to move on" she said.

"You're changing the subject" she said, standing up "Kimberly, I don't know why but I don't feel like going through with it this year. Maybe I'm getting old" she suggested, throwing her arms out beside her.

Kim frowned. "First of all, you're not allowed to say that until you at _least_ turn forty" she said, causing her to chuckle lightly "Secondly, I think the fact you don't know why you don't want to celebrate your birthday is exactly the reason why you should. And third, I think just for tonight you should let everything go and have fun. It's _your_ birthday"

Morgan stared at her. "You're not going to let me say no, are you?" she stated

Kimberly shook her head. "Not a chance" she said with a smile

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine" she replied, making Kimberly smile even wider "_But_...only for the party tonight. Skip everything else"

Kimberly chewed on her bottom lip as she thought. "I can live with that" she finally said. Morgan smiled as Kimberly grabbed for her purse. "So, I'll come back tonight and then we'll both get going"

"Sounds good" Morgan replied as Kim gave her a tight hug and then walked out of the apartment.

O-0-o

After a jog around several blocks and a long shower, Morgan found herself staring at two dresses that were spread out on her bed. One of them was a fitted, long sleeved, silver backless dress and the other being a loose purple dress that hung off one shoulder. It wasn't really a tricky decision. The one shoulder dress wouldn't help hide the hideous birthmark on her shoulder. Unless she was wearing her hair down and it covered the ugly mark, one shoulder dresses were a lost cause. Morgan held the draped towel around her body with one hand as she used the other to put one of the dresses away. She glanced at herself in the mirror, absentmindedly running one finger over her birthmark. It went from the end of her shoulder all the way to her collarbone. If she didn't know any better, it looked like something had carved into her skin.

Morgan changed into her silver dress and matched it with a pair of red heels. She tied up her black hair in a long sleek ponytail and finished her makeup with red lipstick. Now that she actually thought about it, she was looking forward to tonight. She stared at herself in the mirror and the only thing that seemed out of placed was the ring on her finger. Maybe that's what was getting in the way of her trying to move on. Morgan pursed her lips, unsure about her theory but slipped it off and put it in a safe place anyway. Besides, she didn't anyone's pity or sympathy tonight. It was her twenty-seventh birthday and she wasn't going to let anything ruin it.

"Morgan?" Kimberly called from outside the door.

She walked through her living room and unlocked the door. Kim was wearing a bright yellow dress with half her hair tied up. She gave her a wide smile as Morgan locked the door behind her and both of them walked to the restaurant. A cool breeze hit her bare back as she stepped outside. Once they got there, several people were waiting outside and greeted her with hugs. There was an empty space where the pool tables should have been and became a makeshift dance floor. Richie was passing around drinks. People stepped away from one of the big booths and Morgan was greeted with more hugs and birthday wishes. _Kimberly really overdid it this time _she thought to herself amusingly. She smiled and laughed at seeing so many familiar faces, it made her feel at ease again. They talked, laughed, and ordered dinner. Time passed quickly and few people returned home because of work in the morning. Few people stayed around and mingled and had drinks. After a while, Morgan walked over to the bar herself.

"What'll it be, birthday girl?" Richie asked

She gave him a look, but then smiled. "I think a small martini will do it" she said simply

He grinned and reached for a glass. "Olive or lemon?" he asked

Morgan leaned over the counter. "You decide" she replied. Richie raised an eyebrow amusingly and began making her drink when Jenna approached the counter.

"So is your guardian angel around here?" Jenna asked teasingly

Morgan raised an eyebrow confusingly as she turned to look at her friend. "My what?" she asked

Jenna laughed. "I heard Kim talking about everything. How you met some guy here and something about giving you good advice" she said

"Of course you did" she muttered. Morgan put a hand on her hip. "Guardian angel? Is that what she's calling him?"

"Isn't he? I mean from what I heard you were at a rocky place in your marriage when he came along" she said.

Morgan was taken aback. She opened her mouth to say something them quickly closed it. It took her a while to realize that Richie had placed her drink in front of her. She glanced at it, suddenly feeling rather quenched and pushed it towards Jenna. "Uh, why don't you take that. On me" she said, taking out some money and handing it to Richie.

"Morgan, wait, did I say something?" Jenna asked regretfully

"No, it's been a long night. I think I'm going to head home" she answered, grabbing her clutch and walking towards the door. She nearly ran into Kim who was just about to walk in.

"Whoa! You're not leaving are you?" she asked

"Actually I am. It was a great party, Kimberly, thanks. I had fun" she said truthfully "But, I think I'm just gonna head home now"

"Hey, hey, your birthday's not over until you cut the cake" she said

Morgan stared up at the star filled sky. "You never mentioned anything about a cake" she told her

Kimberly grinned. "I know. That's why I was thinking we could celebrate that part of your birthday with just the two of us. It's the least you owe me after you skipped everything else today" she said, before holding up the brown bag in her hand and taking out a big bottle from it. "I bought red wine!" she sang

Morgan raised an eyebrow and took the bottle from her hand. "Red wine with cake?" she said, before looking back at her friend "You know what I like" she said with a smirk as Kimberly gave her a smug smile.

They were back at the apartment as Kimberly put the bottle of wine and brown bag on the counter. Morgan looked through one of the drawers until she found a match box and took out two wine glasses. Kim took out a small plastic box that had a small square piece of cake in it.

"Carrot cake?" Morgan asked with a raised eyebrow, handing her one of the wine glasses

"I know what you like" Kimberly said simply, taking the glass from her hand and pouring a little wine into it when she noticed Morgan looking a little sour. "Okay, I'll bite. Why did you want to leave the party so early?"

"Oh, I was having a great time, Kimberly" Morgan said "That is, of course, until little Miss. Sunshine had to bring up the worst time during my marriage" she said

"Jenna?" Kim asked to which Morgan nodded.

"Who else?" Morgan asked sarcastically "That girl likes to stick her nose in any place that fits"

"Tell me something I don't already know" Kim replied, grabbing for a match box. "Hope you have your wish ready"

Morgan took the bottle and poured herself some into her own glass. Kim lit a candle and put it in the middle of the cake. Morgan took a sip of her wine and sat in one of the chairs behind the counter. She watched the glow for a minute. She was twenty-seven. Morgan felt like something was missing, but she didn't know what it was. She stole a glance at Kimberly. She had amazing friends. She had a job. She had a home. For some reason she didn't know what she wanted. Everything has always been the same for a long time. Maybe that's what was wrong. Morgan took another sip of wine before looking back at the candle and closed her eyes. _I wish something was different_ she thought. It was a silly thing to wish for, but she blew out the candle anyway. Kimberly clapped her hands like a small child.

"There, now you're officially twenty-seven" she said

Morgan laughed and poured herself some more wine as Kimberly did the same. "Well," she started, holding up her glass "Here's to twenty-seven; another year and hopefully more to come. Lets just hope this year is better than the last one"

"Cheers" Kimberly said, raising her glass against Morgan's and drank. "Now, I think you're going to need help finishing the cake and wine"

Morgan rolled her eyes and handed her a fork. Both of them ate from the small plastic box and drank a small amount of wine. They were pouring themselves a second glass when the phone rang. Both their heads turned to the phone at the same time.

"You gonna get that?" Kimberly asked

"How much do you want to bet it's Jenna?" she asked, breaking off another piece of the cake.

"I'll get it" Kim offered, standing up

Morgan took a sip of her red wine. "Tell her I'm not here" she said

Kimberly rolled her eyes and reached for the phone. "Reed residence. No one is currently home right now, can I take a message?" Kim said into the phone. Morgan laughed into her glass as Kim glanced over at her and winked. "Yes...uh-huh. Who's this...I'm sorry?" she said, her tone suddenly turning serious as she looked over at Morgan who frowned at her sudden change in tone. "Oh, I didn't...no, she's not...yes...okay...alright...no, I'm not...okay, good-bye" she said before hanging up. Kimberly looked at Morgan suspiciously. "That wasn't Jenna" she told her

"Who was it?" Morgan asked

"Someone who was asking for you" Kimberly said as she walked around the counter.

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm guessing that's why they called my phone" she said sarcastically "I meant who was the person that called me? Did they leave a name?" she said, taking another long sip of her wine.

Kimberly folded her arms over her chest and frowned at her. "Yeah, they did" she answered, making her eyebrows knit together. "Emma Swan"

Morgan choked out her wine.

**Please review!**


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